1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a mechanism for a patient support of the type used to support a patient when conducting a medical examination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particularly for a tomographic examination system such as a CT and/or MR apparatus, a patient to be examined must be moved with a patient bearing mechanism into a cylindrical patient opening. The bottom of this opening in MR and CT apparatuses typically is at a height of between 900 and 1200 mm above the floor. If only longitudinal displaceability of the patient bearing mechanism were provided, it would not be especially comfortable for patients to be placed on such a patient bearing mechanism, particularly in the case of patients having limited freedom of movement. For this reason, patient bearing devices for, for example, tomography apparatuses, are usually adjustable not only in the longitudinal direction but also in height. Two separate drive mechanisms are provided for this purpose. German OS 30 34 932 discloses such a patient support mechanism.
In most instances, known patient support mechanisms are secured to the tomography apparatus or are independently anchored to the floor. In the above-recited published German application, the patient support mechanism is implemented as a mobile table that can be docked at the tomograph. The patient generally lies on a plate that is moved into the examination space of the medical examination apparatus via rollers.
In all of the above-described systems, there is an unavoidable gap between the tomograph apparatus and the patient bearing mechanism, which disturbs the ease with which a patient support plate can be rolled when introducing the patient.
Mobile patent tables to be docked to the tomograph apparatus are complicated solutions when patients are prepared for the measurement on a table given throughput-optimized systems and are examined on a second table parallel thereto.